Research
Integrating epidemiology, demography, public policy, and clinical medicine to bridge global aging, population science, and sensory health. Explore Dr. Ehrlich’s research below, including landmark initiatives like LOSHAK and Mi-SHARC, which inform evidence-based solutions for healthier, more inclusive longevity worldwide.
Longitudinal Study of Health and Ageing in Kenya (LOSHAK)
LOSHAK provides critical data to inform healthier, more inclusive longevity in Kenya and beyond.
By documenting health, economic, and cognitive trajectories among older adults, this landmark study reveals challenges in health and access to healthcare, retirement security, and social support—empowering policymakers, NGOs, and communities to design evidence-based solutions for healthier longevity in low- and middle-income contexts and globally.
Funding: Supported by the National Institute on Aging (R01AG093721, R21AG077042) and the University of Michigan Center for Global Health Equity.
Public Policy Impact: Provides unprecedented insights into aging in the Global South, informing policies for healthier, more inclusive longevity in Kenya and beyond.
Sensory Health and Aging Collaboratives
The Michigan Sensory Health and Aging Research Collaborative (Mi-SHARC) and SENSE Network are transforming how we teach, research, and shape policy on sensory health and aging.
Mi-SHARC is a University of Michigan initiative dedicated to building community and collaboration around sensory health and aging. By bridging disciplines across UM—including medicine, public health, social sciences, and engineering—Mi-SHARC fosters data sharing, idea exchange, and resource collaboration to advance research, policy, and clinical practice in sensory aging.
The SENSE Network is a global collaborative focused on sensory health and aging, bringing together researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to advance understanding of sensory impairments and their impact on longevity and quality of life.
Funding: SENSE Network is funded by the National Institute on Aging (R61AG089063).
Public Policy Impact: These initiatives build the infrastructure, data, capacity, and global consensus needed to move the field forward and affect change at the individual, community, and systems level.
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Study of Aging and Vision in America (SAVA)
SAVA is a first-of-its-kind in-depth look at vision health in the older US population, unmasking the complex interplay between communities, vision health, and well-being in later-life.
At least 14 million people in the U.S. are living with vision impairment (VI) or blindness, and this number is projected to double by 2050. In later life, VI is associated with a host of adverse outcomes, including dementia, long-term care placement, and even mortality. SAVA addresses a critical barrier by using longitudinal, nationally representative data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) to rigorously examine how vision influences late-life health outcomes and risk factors.
Funding: SAVA if funded by the National Eye Institute (R01EY034479).
Public Policy Impact: Vision loss is a highly modifiable risk factor for adverse later-life outcomes, including dementia; treating it could reduce the prevalence of dementia to the same degree as cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, smoking, and obesity.
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Oculomics in LASI-DAD
Imaging the eyes of over 4,000 older adults in India will enable our team to develop ethical and AI models to detect and address dementia risk earlier than ever.
The retina offers a non-invasive window into brain and vascular health, making ocular imaging a powerful tool for early dementia detection. The Harmonized Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI-DAD) integrates advanced ocular imaging to discover novel biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD). By collecting fundus photographs, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), and OCT-Angiography (OCT-A) images, our team applies AI/deep learning to develop generalizable prediction models—collaborating with global leaders to ensure these tools are robust across diverse populations.
Funding: Funded by the National Institute on Aging (R01AG051125) and Gates Ventures.
Public Policy Impact: Discovery and validation of new non-invasive dementia biomarkers is needed to fundamentally reshape how we predict and address cognitive risk.
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Publications
For a complete list of peer-reviewed articles, visit the NCBI Bibliography. Below are selected highlights from HRS, LASI, LOSHAK, NHATS, and high-impact population science:
High-Impact Policy & Commission Reports
Ehrlich JR, et al. The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020. Lancet Glob Health. 2021;9(4):e489-e551. DOI
Ehrlich JR, Kobayashi LC. Closing the data gaps on trends in dementia and related care in low- and middle-income countries. J Gerontol Med Sci. 2024;79(Supp_1):S5-S6. DOI
LOSHAK & Global Aging
Nagarajan N, Ehrlich JR, et al. Development of the Longitudinal Study of Health and Ageing in Kenya (LOSHAK). Innov Aging. 2023;8(4):igad111. DOI
Riang’a RM, Mwangi EM, Nagarajan N, Ehrlich JR, et al. Self-Reported, Functional, and Objective Health and Sociodemographic Characteristics among Older Adults in Kenya: Findings from the Pilot LOSHAK. Frontiers Epidemiol. 2025;6:1693701. DOI
Gross AL, Ehrlich JR, et al. Midlife cognitive testing in Africa: validity of the Harmonised Cognitive Assessment Protocol in the Kenya Life Panel Survey. BMJ Open. 2025;15(8):e096619. DOI
NHATS, HRS, & Sensory Health
Killeen OJ, Ehrlich JR, et al. Objectively Measured Visual Impairment and Dementia Prevalence in Older Adults in the US. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2023;141(8):786-790. DOI
Smith JR, Ehrlich JR, et al. Vision Impairment and the Population Attributable Fraction of Dementia in Older Adults in the United States: The National Health and Aging Trends Study. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2024;142(10):900-908. DOI
Hu M, Freedman VA, Ehrlich JR, et al. Collecting Objective Measures of Visual and Auditory Function in a National in-Home Survey of Older Adults. J Surv Stat Methodol. 2021;9(2):309-334. DOI
Ehrlich JR, Swenor BK, et al. The Longitudinal Association of Vision Impairment With Transitions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2021;76(12):2187-2193. DOI